THREE POEMS
May 01, 2019
3 minutes
HENRY ISRAELI
Letters to Uncle Joe
Dear Stalin,
I left a slice of cake
out on the table for you.
It’s your favorite—made with
undying love for you.
When you are done
please put away your fork.
You know how it scares the dogs.
Dear Stalin,
Remember the trees quaking
when you walked under them?
What thoughts did you have
that made them so uneasy?
Dear Stalin,
I painted your portrait based ona photograph inbut you had been erased.Where once you were lookingat your good friend, the minister,now you are merely lookingout at the sunset, with the kindof smile one reserves for onlythose he cares most deeply about.
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